Start helping to heal your inner child

So much of our behavior, aversions, and neuroses in the present can be solved by exploring and communicating with the inner child. If you are interested in working with your inner child, first you need to reflect on your own childhood, the timeline of your early years, and how you felt as a child. Did you feel safe? Did you feel a sense of belonging in your family? Were you permitted to be you? What is your current relationship with your inner child like?

Your inner child is an essential part of the intricate patchwork that makes up your identity. When you ignore or deny your inner child, they are doomed to wither away within the deep dark vaults of your unconscious mind. There is so much pain to be faced with inner child work. But there is also so much joy and so much vitality to be experienced.

One of the best ways to start helping to heal your inner child is to address them directly. Write them a letter as the older wiser loving you. As you write the letter, tell your inner child how much you love them and want to spend time with them. Write in a way that makes you feel safe, cared for, and understood. If you feel emotional during this process, it’s okay. Let yourself cry and be proud of your courage to express how you truly feel.

You can respond to yourself as well. Using your non-dominant hand (in order to bypass your logical side of the brain), write yourself a letter from the perspective of your inner child. Let your inner child tell the loving you what they want or need, is it protection, to not feel alone, to feel safe and home. Do not think on this, let the feelings of your inner child dominate this letter. Continued correspondence between grown you and inner child you is a great starting place for healing.

Remember that everything takes time. Also, these exercises are not intended to replace therapy, programs or groups for the inner child or child abuse. If you’ve gone through child sexual abuse, severe emotional abuse, or have a mental illness, seeking professional help is essential.